Sunday, June 26, 2016

In Mangalore, the Bajrang Dal's politics of fear is ultimately about good business sense, says a report published in Scroll.

It tells us that Bajrang Dal is feared by people including mall owners, shop owners and common citizens.

Hence, there is a huge demand for private security. The Bajrang Dal runs its own security service to meet this demand.

So, if you need 'protection' from Bajrang Dal, you have no option but to again go to Bajrang Dal and hire their security personnel, who are obviously from the Bajrang Dal.

This business model is based on fear. You want to avoid extortion [paying hafta] or escape undue attention of those who don't need to fear the law, the best way is to pay them officially, through their agency.

Dhirendra K Jha's report that appeared in the Scroll, reveals how the the outfit has "managed to breed a sense of insecurity...(that) generates a demand for security guards, which are then supplied by a company run by the Bajrang Dal's top leader in Karnataka".

It quotes the leader, Saran Kumar. “All the supervisors and most of the security guards who work for the company are Bajrang Dal workers,” Sharan told Scroll.in. “As a Bajrang Dal leader, it is my duty to secure the livelihood of karyakartas [workers]", he says.

Once again, you end up criticising the Bajrang Dal for its strong-arm tactics. But who is responsible? After all, Bajrang Dal is just an outfit and if it is responsible for creating a 'climate of fear', there should be action against it.

It is Congress that rules Karnataka. Coastal Karnataka has been notorious for right-wing outfits' moral policing. Bajrang Dal, Ram Sene and other similar groups have been active here for long, still, Congress never took stern action against them.

The outfits that should have been banned, function openly and without fear of the law. Instead, they run a parallel government on the ground. How is it that Congress always allows such groups to be active in states that it has ruled for decade?

Shiv Sena is just another example. Congress ruled for most part of the last four decades or so, [from the beginning when Shiv Sena gained strength]. Its workers and leaders remained outside the purview of law. These groups also spread hatred and end up hurting Congress too.

Still, the party either fails to realise it or its leaders have sympathy for the Sangh's ideology. What else explains the manner in which the party has always been soft on Bajrang Dal--the militant arm of Sangh Parivar. Screenshot: Scroll.in

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